“Baianas for Americans to see.”
(Diário Catarinense)

Category: documentary
(Color – NTSC/2009 – HD/2016 – 8 min. – USA)

Synopsis: It is believed that the Cleansing was originated in the times when the slaves were forced to wash the stairway of the Church of Bonfim. This ritual has been performed every year by the baianas since 1804, in Salvador. Today, not only does the procession include the baianas, but also other religions, creeds and cults to take part in the celebration that has now reached New York. Goulart relives historic moments of the Cleansing of Bonfim, in Bahia, up to its debut on 46^th Street, in Manhattan, attracting every passerby’s attention, in a true ritual of passion and symbolism of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Notice: This film is for educational purposes and the preservation of the memory of the Cleansing of Bonfim only, with no commercial value in any way.